AZKALS

The Philippine Football Federation said that the decision of extending the contract of coach Hans Michael Weiss with the Azkals will depend on what the country’s football body and the team management deem as “best to Philippine football.”

PFF general secretary Edwin Gastanes told InterAKTV that the country’s football body and Azkals management will discuss the status of Weiss’ contract, which will expire on January 16, 2013, after the German coach’s return from holiday vacation.

“PFF and the team management shall consider all relevant factors and shall treat the matter guided by what is best, in particular, for the national team and, in general, to Philippine football,” Gastanes said.

In 2011, upon the recommendation of the German Football Association, which gave an assistance package for the country’s football development, Weiss was hired to steer the Azkals for the next two years. His hiring came shortly after the Azkals’ memorable Cinderella run to the ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup semifinals in 2010.

Over the course of Weiss’ tenure, the Azkals have enjoyed the privilege of training abroad and playing international friendly matches, as well as the influx of foreign-based players with Filipino lineage to bolster the squad.

Weiss guided the Azkals to their highest FIFA World Ranking in history at 143rd. He piloted the team to a third place finish in the 2012 Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup last March and a title in the 2012 Philippine Football Peace Cup, the country’s first football title in almost a century.

He also helped the squad duplicate its semifinal finish in this year’s Suzuki Cup, where they fell to eventual champion Singapore.

In an earlier interview, Weiss said that he is prepared for whatever the decision on his contract will be.

“I’m prepared for either way. I have requests from other clubs, federations so I’m not worried too much,” Weiss said.

“If the evaluation of Michael Weiss is a good one, and for my point of view, it can only be good, they should think serious if they want to make a change or not.”

Azkals star striker, Phil Younghusband said that defense is their key against Singapore in their Semifinals matchup of the AESAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup.

As the star striker for the Philippine national men’s football team, Phil Younghusband is known for scoring goals at will against opponents.

Now facing Singapore in the semifinals of the ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup, he admitted, however, that the Azkals’ success will rely on one thing: defense.

“That’s one of our strengths, defense,” Younghusband said in an AKTV interview.

Singapore, which scored seven goals during the group stages en route to notching the top spot in Group B, boasts of midfielder/striker Shahril Ishak, who leads the tournament with four goals, and 42-year-old striker Aleksandar Duric, who has been one of the Lions’ deadly threats on the attack over the years.

Knowing that, Younghusband knows that the Azkals have to stifle their opponents’ attack, which he believes they did to nail victories against Vietnam and Myanmar during the group stages which earned them a second straight trip to the semifinals of the Suzuki Cup.

“Once we get our goal, we are difficult to break down,” he said. “There’s no space. They can’t find any space to get a shot.”

The Azkals, now beefed up with more seasoned players based abroad, were expected to deviate to a more attacking strategy this year after being known for parking the bus on defense and counterattacking on offense in their memorable semifinal run in the tournament in 2010.

But the Filipinos have shown toughness on the defensive side, so far only giving up two goals in the tournament which came in a 2-1 loss to Thailand thanks to the superb goalkeeping of veteran Eduard Sacapaño and the backline composed of Dennis Cagara, Rob Gier, Juani Guirado and Ray Jonsson.

Now playing in the semifinals starting on Saturday against Singapore, Younghusband hopes the Azkals to continue their performance to overcome Singapore, which they have already beaten twice in friendly matches this year.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to produce the goods,” he said. “It will be very difficult for us to break down.”

Azkals win over Singapore give them more boost in their campaign for ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup. The Azkals advanced to the semifinals after defeating Myanmar.

Philippine national men’s football team star striker Phil Younghusband believes that the Azkals’ success against Singapore this year will give them an edge when they clash in the semifinals of the 2012 ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup.

The Azkals beat Singapore twice this year in friendly matches – a 2-0 triumph last September 7 in the city-state and a 1-0 victory last November 15 in Cebu.

“We’ve had good results against them and that gives us confidence,” Younghusband said in an AKTV interview. “We know how Singapore (plays).”

Younghusband also said that the Azkals playing their first home game in the country will also give them a boost.

“This time, we have a home game which should make a difference,” he said. “I think this time, we’re more prepared.”

When the Filipinos barged into the semifinals two years ago in the Suzuki Cup, they were forced to play their home match in Indonesia due to the lack of a suitable venue which passed the standards of the organizers. Indonesia won the series on aggregate, 2-0, to end the Azkals’ Cinderella run in that tournament.

The Azkals will face Singapore in a two-legged, home-and-away semifinals starting on Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium in Manila.

In need of a boost against a familiar opponent in Vietnam, the Philippine national men’s football team, Azkals turned to the smallest man on the pitch: Chieffy Caligdong.

The 5-foot-4 Airman stood tallest after scoring the lone goal of the match at the 85th minute to give the Azkals a 1-0 victory over Vietnam in the ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup Tuesday in Bangkok, Thailand. The win hearkens back to the 2010 edition of the tournament that saw the Philippine side upset Vietnam in a match that jumpstarted the popularity of football in the country.

This time, the Vietnamese were well aware of the ability of the Azkals, as the two sides battled to a nil-nil draw at halftime.

But the Philippines came out sluggish after the break, as Vietnam began to dominate possession. Caligdong, surprisingly left off the starting lineup, was one of a trio of substitutes along with Angel Guirado and Denis Wolf jumpstarted the attack for the Azkals, who took advantage of a shorthanded Vietnam side after an injury to skipper Minh Duc.

Guirado had a golden chance at the 81st minute, getting all the way inside the box for a shot that was saved by Vietnamese keeper Hong Son Duong. A few moments later, Guirado set up Caligdong for a left-footed shot at the corner of the box that found the back of the net.

But Vietnam did not go away easily, quickly regrouping for a counterattack. Le Tan Tai took a clear shot at goal at the 88th minute, but Azkals keeper Eduard Sacapaño got a finger on the ball, which hit the crossbar before being cleared.

The Azkals repelled last-minute attacks by Vietnam to come away with the three points, bouncing back from a tough 2-1 loss to Thailand in the opener.

The Philippines wraps up its campaign against Myanmar on Friday in another crucial match that could determine which team advances to the group stages. The top two teams advance to the crossover semifinals.

The Philippine national men’s football team, Azkals, released Monday the lineup for its friendly match against Singapore in Cebu on Thursday – the Azkals’ last match before heading to the 2012 ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup this November.

Also in the roster are some foreign-based players, namely Fil-English Rob Gier and Chris Greatwich and Fil-Icelandic Ray Jonsson.

The friendly match marks the second time the Azkals face Singapore this year, with the Filipinos scoring a 2-0 victory in their encounter last September 7.

But Singapore is expected to be more formidable this time with the return of naturalized striker Aleksandar Duric, who recently bagged his third Best Player of the Year in the S.League, Singapore’s top professional football league, after steering his club Tampines Rovers to its second straight league crown.

After the match, the Azkals will head to Bangkok, Thailand for the 2012 Suzuki Cup, where they look to surpass their historic semifinal run in the same tournament two years ago.

Philippine national men’s football coach Hans Michael Weiss revealed that the Azkals will miss some of its best players who are based abroad during the group stages of the 2012 ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup.

Weiss said that the management failed to convince the clubs of Filipino-German midfielder Stephan Schrock and Filipino-Spanish striker Angel Guirado to release them this November for the tournament.

Guirado suits up for Salgaocar FC, a team which plays in India’s professional I-League, while Schrock plays for Bundesliga first division squad TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.

“Angel Guirado has a verbal agreement with his club that he will be released for the Suzuki Cup,” Weiss said. “(But) the club has refused to release the player because it was not an official FIFA date.

“Schrock, I just got information that they will not release him for the first three matches. But maybe they’ll release him for the December period which would mean, in the most positive scenario, that he would already be available for the semifinals.”

Weiss added that the team also faces the same problem with other foreign-based players such as Neil Etheridge, Dennis Cagara and Jerry Lucena, among others.

But he is not losing his hope that they could join the lineup, citing an incident in the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup last March when goalkeeper Etheridge was cleared to play for the Azkals at the last minute after his club initially refused to release him.

“We have to be patient,” Weiss said

Weiss, however, still believes that the Azkals will still be formidable even without some of the foreign-based players, adding that the core lineup which won the Philippine Football Peace Cup last September will most likely play in the Suzuki Cup.

“But good news, we will field a strong team anyway,” Weiss said. “I have a very strong belief that this team will play very good football in Thailand.

The Azkals will play Thailand on November 24, Vietnam on November 27 and Myanmar on November 30 in the group stages of the Suzuki Cup, where they look to surpass their historic semifinal run two years ago.

The Filipinos will face Bahrain on October 12 in its capital Manama and Kuwait on October 16 at Kuwait City in their two-match training tour in the Middle East.

The Azkals are using the matches to prepare for the 2012 ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup this November, where they look to duplicate their historic semifinal run in the same tournament two years ago.

The Philippine national football team, Azkals dispatched Chinese Taipei, 3-1, to sweep the Philippine Football Peace Cup on Saturday and win the country’s first international football tournament in 99 years.

Denis Wolf, who scored a hat trick in the Azkals’ 5-0 demolition of Macau last Thursday, opened the floodgates at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium, scoring a goal at the 10th minute.

Skipper Chieffy Caligdong then took advantage of a poor clearance job by Chinese Taipei and buried a goal at the 35th minute.

OJ Porteria provided the Azkals a strong first half finish, hitting the net on a breakaway at the 43rd minute to give the Filipinos a commanding 3-nil edge at the break.

However, Azkals goalkeeper Eduard Sacapaño failed to keep a clean sheet throughout the tournament, giving up a goal to forward Chang Han at the 52nd minute that trimmed the Chinese Taipei deficit, 3-1.

Things got heated midway through the second half after Azkals midfielder Demitrius Omphroy seemed to tackle midfielder Lo Chi En of Chinese Taipei inside the penalty box. Chinese Taipei Football Association Vice President Leo Fu Tsai, who protested the call, was dismissed by the referees, but he refused to leave his team’s bench. The incident delayed the game for about 10 minutes.

Forward Lo Chi An then found a scoring chance off a free kick, only to roll harmlessly into the hands of Sacapaño.

The Azkals found a chance to increase their lead, but Patrick Reichelt’s attempt at the 79th minute went off the post.

Chinese Taipei had another opportunity to score after Jason De Jong tackled a Taiwanese player inside the box, giving captain Yang Chao Hsun a penalty kick in injury time.

But Sacapaño once again made another great save to cap a dominating performance for the Azkals.

The victory marks the first time the Philippines beat Chinese Taipei. The Filipinos had previously failed to defeat the Taiwanese in seven matches dating back to 1960.

The Azkals swept their three matches in the Peace Cup, winning against Guam, 1-0, last Tuesday and clobbering Macau, 5-0, last Thursday on their way to the championship.

The Peace Cup title is the Filipinos’ first international tournament win since the Philippines won a gold medal in the 1913 Far Eastern Games.

The Philippine national men’s football team’s, Azkals heated match against Laos Monday night turned out to be not an official international friendly match after all, which means that the Azkals’ 2-1 loss would have no effect on their world rankings.

In an email to InterAKTV, FIFA confirmed that it withdrew consideration for the game after learning that referees who officiated the game were not recognized by the world governing body.

“Indeed, not all four referees were from FIFA which is a must for an official A-match,” FIFA wrote in an email Tuesday night.

At the 66th minute, the match turned ugly after players from both sides engaged in a heated encounter, delaying the match for almost five minutes. One Laos player was caught in camera punching Azkals sub Misagh Bahadoran, but the referees curiously slapped a red card on the Filipino midfielder. Goalkeeper Neil Etheridge also got collared by three Laos players, who all appeared to not receive any sanctions.

Despite the length of delay the incident caused, referees also only added three minutes of extra time in the match, dimming the comeback chances for the Azkals after defender Rob Gier scored in the 92nd minute.

Earlier, Azkals manager Dan Palami apologized for the heated affair, where the Azkals got the wrong end of the exchange. “We truly regret and apologize for this incident,” he said.

The Laos game was the last leg of the Azkals’ three-nation Southeast Asian tour. They settled for a draw against Cambodia last Wednesday and scored a 2-0 victory over Singapore last Friday. The matches are part of their preparations for the 2012 ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup in November, where they look to surpass their semifinal finish in the same tournament two years ago.